Introduction
The plagues sent by God to Egypt contain many intriguing details, and some passages may seem contradictory at first glance. In The Cattle of the Fifth and Sixth Plagues of Egypt – Exodus 9, I will address one such question: If in the fifth plague ‘all the cattle of the Egyptians died’ (Exodus 9:6), how is it that cattle were also affected by the sixth plague (Exodus 9:10)? Throughout this article, I will examine the context of these events, explore the meaning of the limitation God set, and understand how the biblical text itself resolves this apparent contradiction.
Analyzing the Passages
Let’s examine the cattle in the fifth and sixth plagues of Egypt. Exodus 9:6 describes the fifth plague sent by God upon the Egyptian nation, while Exodus 9:10 describes the sixth plague. As we read these two verses, we encounter an apparent contradiction. The description of the fifth plague states that ‘all the cattle of the Egyptians died.’ However, when we read about the sixth plague, we are told that it would fall upon both ‘men and cattle’ (Exodus 9:10). Here are the verses in question:
FIFTH PLAGUE:.
Exodus 9:6 – “And the Lord did so on the next day, and all the cattle of the Egyptians died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel not one died“
SIXTH PLAGUE:.
Exodus 9:10 – “And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh: and Moses sprinkled it toward heaven; and it became a boil, breaking out with boils upon man and upon beast“
How is it possible that the cattle also received the sixth plague, if in the fifth plague all the Egyptian cattle died?
Regional Boundary
If we read the preceding verses carefully, we can find the answer. As we see in Exodus 9:6, ‘all the cattle of the Egyptians’ died, but we must understand ‘all the cattle’ within the limits set by the Lord in verse 3.
Exodus 9:3 – “Behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock in the field, upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep, with a very grievous pestilence“
Note that when the Lord announced the fifth plague, He specified the livestock that would be affected. Only those in the fields would be struck, implying that there were other places where livestock could also be found, but these animals would not be affected by the sixth plague. This situation is reiterated in the seventh plague. Let us read the words of the Lord spoken to Pharaoh:
Exodus 9:19-20 – “Now therefore send, gather together your livestock, and all that you have in the field: every man and beast found in the field and not brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He who feared the word of the Lord among Pharaoh’s servants made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses“
Cattle They Gathered in Their Homes
The Lord God warned Pharaoh that the seventh plague would fall upon everything in the field. This included the cattle that survived the fifth plague and received the boils from the sixth plague. However, the Lord provided a warning to Pharaoh, stating that if he wished, he could save these cattle by gathering them into the houses of the Egyptians. The text continues by telling us that Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord acted accordingly and thus spared their cattle.
Based on this description, it is possible that each Egyptian had appropriate places in their land, or even within their homes, where they could keep their animals. This shows us that the fifth plague affected ‘all the cattle of the Egyptians’ (Ex 9:6) who were in the field (Ex 9:3). However, those that were not ‘in the field’ at that time ended up being spared, later receiving the sixth plague, as described in the text:
Exodus 9:9 – “And it shall become fine dust throughout all the land of Egypt, and it shall become a scab breaking out with boils upon man and upon beast throughout all the land of Egypt“
May God bless us.
